Message Output for Purchase Orders

Contents

Introduction ... 2

Configuration ... 2

Create condition tables ... 3

Define Access Sequence ... 7

Define Message Type ... 12

Define Fine-Tuned Control: Purchase Order ... 14

Define Message Determination Schema ... 17

Assign Message Determination Schema to Purchase Order ... 20

Create Message Master Records ... 22

System Demo ... 27

Print messages for multiple purchase orders ... 34

Introduction

"Messages" are forms of output send to vendors in the purchasing processing. It is based on a MM document in SAP (Such as purchase requisition or purchase order) and also it can be a printed document based on the purchase order or an output sent via EDI. SAP is using famous condition technique for message control as well. (Click here to see more details about the condition technique in SAP)This is same as output type configuration in SD. You can view more info on this regard using this link.

Let's see how you can configure message control settings for purchase orders.

Configuration

IMG Path:

Create condition tables

IMG Path:

Under this IMG node, we can create a new condition table. But before creating a new condition table, please check whether you can use standard SAP tables. Only if those cannot be used, then create a new table by copying an existing table. If you want to create a new table, the new table number has to be between 501 and 999.

For example, I will create a new condition table "999".

 Enter the new table number in the field "Table". If you want to copy an existing table, insert the existing table number in the field "Table" under section "Copy from condition"

 Press Enter key. Then you will be able to see the below screen

 Double click on the fields in the section to add it to the section. The fields in the section will be used for the condition table generation. Please make sure to double click in the sequence you want them to see in condition record maintenance. Eg: If you want the new table to be Purchasing Doc. Type / Purch. Organization / Vendor, then you need to double click on the same sequence

 The description of the table will be automatically generated, based on the fields you move to section. If you want to change this description, you can do it by selecting the button . Once you press this button, you should be able to edit the table description.

 As you see above, the field descriptions are displayed. If you want to see the technical names of the field you have added, you can press the button . Then you will see those fields as below

The column , determine where the field should be appear (Header or Footer) in the condition master record creation.

 Once all fields are added successfully, generate the new table by selecting button . You will have to select the correct development package for this as table generation is a "Workbench task"

 Once table is successfully generated, you should be able to see the log as below

Please note that; this new table was generated with the prefix "B". If you want to view this table in transaction SE11 or SE16, you need to maintain the table name as "B999". (For pricing condition tables the prefix is "A")

In the same manner you can create multiple tables which need to be added in to the access sequence later. Tables you have created under this step will be used to create an access sequence for the condition type.

Define Access Sequence

This access sequence will be assigned to the message type. When determining message in the purchase order, system will go through the access sequence (Looking for condition table entries) for a valid condition record.

IMG Path:

 Create your own access sequence by pressing button

 Give a name and a description for your new access sequence. Then highlight the access sequence and double click on the node to add your condition tables

 Press button to add the tables in the sequence. Under "No." Column; maintain a sequence for those tables. It is always advisable to keep a gap between each step number. If you have a gap, later you can add a table in between 2 steps. Therefore I will add tables with steps numbers as 10, 20, 30, etc

Please note down below columns in the access sequence. o Requirement -

Under this column, you can assign an ABAP Routine to your condition table. Only if the requirement is valid, the condition record will be determined in the purchase order. If you want to create a new requirement routine, you can do it under below IMG Path:

You will have to get a ABAP developer help to create a new requirement routine. Once new requirement routine is created, you can assign it against your condition table under column "Requirement"

o Exclusive -

This field control whether system stop searching for a valid condition record after the first successful access within this access sequence

 Once tables are added with the step numbers, highlight each table and double click on the node .

Important:

If you don't do this step, the field assignment will be note generated in the access sequence. Therefore system will never able to find a record for this access level. Therefore it is very important to go to

Step 10:

Step 20:

Define Message Type

Under this IMG path, you can create a new message type for your purchase order.

IMG Path:

 Standard SAP message type for purchase orders is "NEU". You can copy that and create your own message type. Else select button to create a new message type.

 Under "Genera data" tab do below;

o Give a ID and description for the message type o Assign the new access sequence for the message type

 Under "Default values" tab, you can set below;

o Dispatch time - This is to define how the message should be generated when the purchase order is created in the system. But the setting you do under this field will only to define a default value for the message type condition record creation. You can change this setting in the condition record

o Transmission medium - This is to specify how the message should be transmitted to the third party (Vendor). Eg: Print out, EDI Message, etc

o Partner Function - Default partner function which the message should be sent to. This will be proposed during message master record creation.

 Double click on the node to add the print program and the form for the print out generation under Medium "1 - Print output".

You can ask your ABAP developer to create a new print program based on the print layout which needs to be sent out to the vendor. This should contain all relevant details of your purchase order for this vendor

 Once you're done, save the new message type

Define Fine-Tuned Control: Purchase Order

This configuration is mandatory, if you want to system to determine a message automatically in the purchase order.

 Press to add a new record

 With the operation "1 - New" add your new condition type

 Save the record

Important:

If you do not maintain above record, system will not automatically determine a message during purchase order creation.

 Message No: 06261

 Message Text: No message generated for output of purchasing document

 Message details:

o If you look at the message determination analysis in the purchase order, you will see that the message has been found.

Therefore, in order to avoid such an issue in the purchase order on automatic determination of messages, please maintain fore said entry.

Define Message Determination Schema

Now the next task is to create a new message determination schema and assign the newly created condition type to it. This message determination schema is like a basket which contains all message types which should be considered when creating purchase orders. Therefore you will have to assign this schema later to your purchase order type.

Standard message determination schema is RMBEF1. You can create your own one if required  In order to create a new schema, press the button

 Once it is done, highlight the new schema, and double click on the node

Like in the access sequence, it is always advisable to have step numbers with a gap. Within one step number, you can have multiple counter numbers to represent different message types.

Please note down below fields in the schema o Requirement -

If you want to satisfy any specific requirement for a message type, you can create a routine to check that and assign it under this field.

o Manual Only -

If you want this message type to be determined only manual, then mark that field.  Like shown above, you can add multiple message types to this schema. Once purchase order is

created, system will go through each condition record to find a valid master record.  After adding all message types required, save the schema

Assign Message Determination Schema to Purchase Order

Under this IMG path, you need to assign the newly created message determination schema to purchase order.

IMG Path:

Under this IMG node, please assign the new schema.

Here you have to assign your schema based on the usage and application area.  Save the assignment

The major difference between output type in SD and messages settings in MM is that; In SD, the output determination procedure can be attached to each sales document type under below IMG Path: Therefore you can have any number of output determination procedure based on the sales document type. But in MM, you can have only one schema per application.

Let's look at the sales document type "OR"

Create Message Master Records

Transaction: MN04 Easy Access Menu Path:

 Select your message type and press Enter key

 Based on the access sequence (The condition tables) attached to this message type, the popup will appear to select the relevant access level (Condition table). If there is only one condition table in the access sequence, then there will be no popup.

Above is same as my access sequence customizing (See below)

 Select the relevant access level (Condition table) and press Enter key  Fill the values based on the condition table entries

Things to remember:

 Here you should be able to see the "Medium" is shown as "1 - Print output" and the "Date/Time" is set to "4 - Send immediately (when saving the application") and the "Partner function" is shown as "VN". These default values appear based on the default values you have set in the message type customizing.

But you can override these values. The values in the message master record will have a higher priority over configuration. Configuration is only to provide a default value in the master record creation.

 The other thing you should see here is the fields "Purchasing Doc Type

and "Purch. Organization" appears in the Header of the screen. This is because, in the condition table "999", we specify those fields as header fields (Rather not Footer fields).

Now if you create another table with "Purch. Organization" marked as a "Footer Field"; then you will see the "Purch. Organization" field appear together with "Vendor" field during message master record creation.

For example I will create a new table "998" with "Purch. Organization" field marked as "Footer field". See the difference now;

The advance table of having more fields in the footer is, you can enter multiple records inside MN04 transaction without saving. Else you need to save the record before going in to other combination.

 Highlight the line and click on the button . Under this button you can maintain when the output needs to be printed, etc

Eg:

The advantage of having "Local destination" as "LOCL" is, when your purchase order is created in the system, the message will be directed to the default printer in your local machine. Based on where your printer is physically located, user can get the printout.

 Once all data is entered, save the message master record

System Demo

Let's create a purchase order with purchase document type "NB" in the purchase organization "A300" for vendor "A400" to see how message get determined.

Transaction: ME21N

 Click on the button to check the message

 As you see below, the message is automatically determined.

 If you click on the , you will see the dispatch time is set to "4" This is coming from the message master data setup you have done.

 Now if you go back and click on the button, you will see other values also set based on the message master record

 If you go to menu -> Go to / Determination Analysis, you can see how this condition record was determined.

 Based on below criteria (From the message master record), this message was determined in the purchase order

 Save the purchase order

 Since the dispatch time was set to , system

generate the output immediately

 Based on the print program and Form attached to your message type, the layout will be displayed.

 Now if you check the button in the purchase order, you can see the status was set to "Green"

 You can check the processing log in the button

 If you want to re-create the same output, highlight the existing message record in the screen and press the button .

It will add another line to the same screen. Now you can process that as you did before.

 You can preview this output within the purchase order by pressing the button . This will generate the print preview within SAP system

Print messages for multiple purchase orders

The above explained method will generate purchase order message for each and every purchase order saved in the system. Let's say business wants to print all purchase order printouts at the end of the day without printing one by one. SAP has provided a transaction for bulk printing of purchase order messages.

Transaction: ME9F Easy Access Menu Path:

 Go in to the transaction

 Using proper selection criteria get all purchase order which needs to generate a message  Keep the "Processing Status" as "0 - Not processed"

 Now you will see all messages which were not processed in those purchase orders  Select all purchase orders by selecting and press the button

Now all messages for those purchase orders will be printed.

Condition Technique used in message determination

Now let's see how system determined the message type "ZAW1" for this purchase order. The determination steps are known as condition technique in SAP.

1. When you create the purchase order, based on the purchasing application, it determined the message determination schema to the purchase order -> IMG: Assign Message Determination

Schema to Purchase Order. Here you have assigned the message determination schema to the purchasing application

2. With the determined Message Determination Schema, all message types attached to it also follow -> IMG: Define Message Determination Schema. Here you have attached all relevant condition types to the schema

3. Based on each message type, now system gets the corresponding access sequence attached -> IMG: Define Message Type. Here you have attached the access sequence to your message type 4. From the access sequence, now system gets all condition tables attached to it -> IMG: Define

Access Sequence. Here you have attached your message condition tables to the access sequence 5. If there is any requirement routine assigned to the access sequence and if it is satisfied, now system accesses those condition tables. This is based on the message master data you have setup in the transaction MN04.

6. If there is any table entry found, system determined that message type to the purchase order 7. Based on how you have setup the message master record, system will process the message

immediately or wait till a background job execute it This can be summarized graphically as follows;

Author: Anupa Wijesinghe

E-Mail: [email protected] / [email protected] Website: www.learnsaptips.com

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This article is done based on my research and readings, unless otherwise stated. The views expressed are my own and not of anyone else.

Author accepts no liability for the content of the articles in this website or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided. Using this information is at the users own discretion and responsibility.